Asazawa-sha
- Enshrined deity: Ichikishima-hime no Mikoto
Deity of the performing arts and protector of women
Asazawa-sha is a shrine located on an island in marshland amid a field of Rabbit Ear Irises. People come here to pray for accomplishment in the performing arts, etiquette, and beauty. It is also worshipped as a protector of women. The shrine is affectionately known by locals as Sumiyoshi-san’s Benten-san.
The Manyoshu, an ancient collection of poems from the 8th century, contains a verse that reads:
The Rabbit Ear Irises blossom on Suminoe’s Asazawa field
Oh, for the day when I shall don a kimono that has been dyed with their petals
From this we know that the fields of Asazawa in Sumiyoshi (or Suminoe, as it was known in ancient times) have long been famed as a place to view the beauty of Rabbit Ear Iris in full bloom. For this reason, this flower has been designated as the official flower of Sumiyoshi Ward.
